Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-01-25
The Turtle Mountains.

Bottineau, Dak., is one of the
mountain towns OF the Turtle Noun
tains, that unheaval of nature which,
from its peculiar climate and flora,
$50 different from the surrounding
plains,) possesses the greatest attrac-
ton for the botanist and meteorolo-
gist, as well as more practical in-
terest 10 the hOmesteader, who sees
IN its forests logs for dwellings and
an inexhaustible supply of fuel. Bot
tineau has strong pretentions to
greatness, for it is the terminus OF
the Bottineau branch of the st. Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway,
and it must be depot for an exten-
sive area of country, including the
Cub Bank creek section, west of the
Mouse River, rich in resources and
now easily accessible for settlement.
There Is no question but that Bot
lineau offers the finest opportunities
for good business openings, where
persons of limitedzE2FfTal, commence
ing even ibetife financial race, can be
sure tessecure large trade, because
of the constant increase of new bus
mess arising from settlement in the
surrounding region, which already
rapid, from present indications, will
swell to mighty tide, now that COM
munication is made by rail with the
outside world. have heard much
of the mountains and of the noun
lsin country, and it is with feelings
of high anticipation that, in company
with a friend and behind team, we
take our way for day to tie noun
tain. AT the start we have the steep
>lope of the mountain, forest crown
ed, before us, while far to the right
is the fiat topped Bears Butte, and in
the far distance, Butte St. Paul, the
summit of each rising 800 or 800 feet
above the plain. A drive of mile
and we are at the beginning of the
forest, lakes become numerous with
high ridges between, while the foam
ing waters of Oak creek run through
the adjacent gorge.
Soon we are in Il dense growth OF
young timber, the long slopes are
covered with millions of trees and
the view is essentially that of a for
est region and in decided contrast
with the regulation Dakota land
scape. A ride OF twelve miles brings
us TO Fish Lake, the topmost point Oi
the mountain and source of Oak
creek. 1t is charming sheet of wa
ter, with curving sand washed shores
surrounded by the primeval forest
In a clearing, cut like a square out OF
the forest, all old froniierrman, Hart,
with his family, has located on the
lake shore. Many are the stories he
can tell of adventure with the bear
deer and moose, which range the
mountain forests, and of sport will
the iinny tribes, which swarm in iti
thousand lakes,
But it is from the standpoint oi
utility that the mountain possesses
its greatest interest. Forty miles
long and twenty wide, with climate
mild, and with much rain in summer
and clear and dry in the winter, itt
forests offer perfect protection to the
stock raisers of small means, while
the many hay meadows and open in
tervals furnish an abundance of boil
summer and winter feed. The rainy
summers nOurish q wonderful growth
of native grasses and wild pea vine
and a mountain ranoher maintaini
that his forty head of cattle, thin and
weak from the long drive from Mon.
tana, after eight weeks OH its succu-
lent feed, were ready for the butcher.
A wide belt of fertile land surrounds
the base of the mountain like band,
and is already well settled by sturdy
Canadians and other nationalities. A
promising village, Dunseith, is mid
way of the base, and here are the
coal mines, only needed capital and
demand for fuel, with the advent o.
the railroad, to be developed. St
John, at the east end of the mountain
is in the county of Rolette, and is il
the edge of the dense forest which
here comes down from the mountai;
TO the level of the plain.